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ASL – Summary of the Accessibility Progress Report 2024 (1 of 1)

This is a summary of the Progress Report 2024 for the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) in American Sign Language (ASL).

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Summary - Accessibility Progress Report 2024 - CRTC

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is an independent quasi-judicial tribunal that regulates the Canadian communications sector in the public interest. The CRTC holds public consultations on telecommunications and broadcasting matters and makes decisions based on the public record.

The Accessible Canada Act requires the CRTC to publish accessibility plans and progress reports that describe the actions taken to implement our plans.

Successfully implementing our plan means identifying, removing and preventing barriers for persons with disabilities when the CRTC interacts with the public and its employees.

This is the second progress report for our 2023-2025 Accessibility Plan, for the period of October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024. During this period, the CRTC implemented the following measures:

Promoting accessibility-specific training, resources, and awareness

  • Accessibility and inclusion training is a top priority at the CRTC, with 86% of employees having completed it this year, an impressive increase from 25% last year.
  • The CRTC offered employees a variety of learning opportunities on accessibility and mental health, including on bipolar disorder, neurodiversity, and Deaf culture.
  • An additional 25 sessions touched on important topics such as the well-being and psychological health of people with disabilities and the CRTC’s duty as an employer to inquire and accommodate.
  • Our Senior Accessibility Advisor, a Deaf community member living with multiple disabilities, has been sharing important insights with the CRTC.
  • The CRTC held plain language workshops, resulting in more accessible language to all employees and across all decisions, notices, and orders published on our website.
  • We launched a blog series called ‘Accessibility Unveiled’ on visible and invisible disabilities at the CRTC. The first story covered implicit biases and attitudinal barriers.
  • The first version of the evergreen GBA Plus guide was shared with all CRTC staff.

Promoting the hiring and retention of persons with disabilities

  • Following amendments to the Public Service Employment Act, we continued to implement changes to address barriers in the staffing process through an action plan that included training for strategic advisors, staffing specialists, and hiring managers.
  • The CRTC offered various sessions to managers on merit criteria, assessments, and bias to support inclusive hiring practices.
  • Executives continue to have a commitment in their performance agreements to support the accessibility plan and improve the representation of persons with disabilities.

Improving workplace accommodations and minimizing environmental and physical barriers

  • The CRTC is forming a committee of accessibility experts to review and streamline the accommodation process for employees.
  • Internal meetings are now offered in separate French and English sessions whenever possible, improving accessibility and supporting cost-effective practices. CART services and sign language interpretation continue to be provided as needed.
  •  The CRTC consulted with employees on the hybrid work environment to identify barriers and ways to improve before returning to our permanent office space in 2025.
  • We acknowledge the gap in knowledge and attitudinal barriers around invisible disabilities by providing inclusive monthly tools, training and resources.

Improving the accessibility of our network applications and website

  • The Accessibility Center of Expertise for Information Technology developed and began implementing an action plan to ensure all inaccessible applications receive accessibility recommendations.
  • The CRTC is actively exploring options to replace outdated technology with newer solutions that meet the latest accessibility standards.
  • We implemented recommended web accessibility standards and updated our web pages to make them more accessible for screen reader users.

Increasing participation of persons with disabilities in CRTC processes

  • The CRTC updated its intervention form to include a direct contact for personalized support or alternative submission methods.
  • We engaged with disability communities through our new semi-annual accessibility newsletter.
  • Two information sessions were held, including pilot sessions in plain language on how to participate in our consultations.
  • A 10-week American Sign Language training course was provided to CRTC staff and Commissioners involved in public hearings.
  • Notices of consultation on issues affecting the Deaf community were translated into sign language.

Providing information in ASL and LSQ

  • The CRTC adopted a two-step approach to streamline the procurement of sign language translation services, aiming to improve delivery times and establish a centralized budget.
  • A new search function and central repository have been introduced to our website, bringing all sign language content together in one convenient place.

Consultations

The CRTC engaged 18 organizations across Canada on the progress we are making toward our objectives. These organizations represent Canadians that experience a wide range of disabilities. Employees of the CRTC were also consulted about the hybrid work environment.

Feedback

The Commission received 22 emails from the public through its accessibility feedback process. Most were related to the accessibility of the communications services that the CRTC regulates, rather than to the CRTC itself. We also received 106 accessibility-related requests through other means that were handled by our Client Services team. Six of those requests related to the accessibility of the CRTC.

Internally, one email was received and actioned regarding the accommodation process.

What we learned

We heard that you would like us to:

  • continue improving the accessibility of our website and share accessibility updates with employees and disability communities;
  • streamline the participation process for our consultations and other public proceedings;
  • ensure that all internal applications are accessible;
  • continue to build awareness of disability in the workplace and improve our accommodation procedure; and
  • hire more people with disabilities, especially in management roles.

Challenges

The CRTC is actively addressing barriers to accessibility and inclusion, with a focus on improving sign language services. While challenges exist, particularly around federal procurement regulations, the CRTC is working on establishing a corporate contract to streamline the process.

Consultations highlighted the importance of incorporating measurable data in our accessibility plans. In response, the CRTC is gathering information to develop more effective indicators, ensuring clearer and more measurable progress in the next plan.

The way forward

With guidance from its experts and the disability communities, the CRTC has greatly expanded its focus on accessibility over the past year. The CRTC developed strategies and tools that address both universal and specific accessibility needs in all areas. The perspectives of individuals with lived experiences of disability remain central to our work. Together, we are ensuring all Canadians have access to a world-class communications system, building a future where no one is left behind.

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